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CNN Live Saturday

Sharon Vows Expedition of Operations

Aired April 06, 2002 - 22:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Returning now to our top story of the evening, the escalating Mid East violence that has claimed another casualty. Tonight, the International Red Cross says that it is cutting back on humanitarian missions in the West Bank after ambulances were shot at and workers threatened. Around the world, demands increased for an end to what Israel sees as a justified military operation.

Now to Jerrold Kessel in Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JERROLD KESSEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Israel's prime minister, under intense pressure from President Bush, has given his assurance to the U.S. president that he will expedite the Israeli military offensive against Palestinian targets and against the -- into the Palestinian towns in the West Bank.

Mr. Sharon making the statement in a telephone conversation after President Bush had phoned him to underline his demand that the Israelis conclude this military offensive into the West Bank in those Palestinian territories forthwith.

Mr. Sharon had said that according to a statement from his office, that he was conscious -- Israel was conscious of the U.S. desire that Israel conclude its military operation as soon as possible. The prime minister did now, however, say precisely when he would begin to end the operation or when indeed it would end.

But clearly, if the Israelis, as they have said all along that this was an operation that was of self-defense in order to root out the sources of Palestinian terror, and that that was prompted the operation, clearly there is a second imperative in Israeli policy considerations. And that is to keep in line with what the United States believes is possible and what Israel ought to be doing in that battle against terror. And Mr. Sharon clearly conscious of that.

At the same time, Mr. Sharon seemed to be asking for a little bit of leeway from the president, when according to the statement from his office, he said that Israel -- that the operation was taking longer than had been envisaged because Israel was doing its best to avoid civilian casualties in the Palestinian towns. And also, that it had met with a considerable amount of Palestinian weaponry and armed encounters with Palestinians in those towns. And Mr. Sharon suggesting that that was what was taking longer. That has prompted speculation that perhaps while he will order the Israeli troops to withdraw from some of the half dozen Palestinian towns which they have taken over in the last nine days of this operation, which came of the wake of their series of deadly suicide bombings in Israeli cities, it could be -- it could take longer for him to complete the operations in two of the Palestinian towns where the fighting has been very, very intense and fierce, the towns of Jenin and Nablus, where over the last 48 hours, Israel has been fighting, Israeli troops have been fighting very, very fierce battles at close range with Palestinians in those two Palestinian towns.

That fighting continues. The Israeli operation continues. But it does seem to be that this could be the beginning of the end in the wake of the pressure that the president is applying on the Israeli prime minister.

Jerrold Kessel, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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